In 1811, Barnard Courtois of France found that violet vapor with a strong smell was generated while producing niter from seaweed ashes, and that when the vapor was cooled down, it turned into purplish black flake like crystalline material having a metallic luster. His friend who was entrusted with the research of this unknown material, announced his results in 1813. In the following year, 1814, according to the results by Gay-Lussac, Joseph Louis' research, it was clarified that this material was a chemical element similar to chlorine. This was the beginning of iodine, named from iodes in Greek.
Industrial production begun in the same year, and in 1816, iodine was used as a medical sterilizing agents. Today it is used in many areas.

Commercial production of iodine did not begin in Japan until 1887. Subsequently, due to the special procurement during the Sino-Japanese War from 1894 to 1895, the Russo-Japanese War from 1904 to 1905 and the World War I from 1914 to 1918, the iodine business flourished intermittently, centering in Chiba prefecture. However, the iodine business declined, affected by the Showa Crisis of 1930 and the Pacific War from 1941 onward.

The special procurement due to the Korean War that broke out in 1950 brought about another boom for the iodine business. Amid a tight iodine market worldwide, iodine production in Chiba prefecture was recognized as a significant export industry.

KNG entered the iodine business in 1937 by establishing a subsidiary for that purpose, and after trial and error and many twists and turns, positioned iodine as a major business from 1969 onward. Today, we have attained a position as one of the world’s foremost producers of iodine.